Beijing Airport Express cont...

Obviously, we were not the only ones to complain about the lack of lifts and escalators at the Dongzhimen Airport Express terminal. But for it to make the China Daily means there is official dissaproval of the situation and the call for 'someone must be held accountable' means that heads are likely to roll. In China, this could be literally.

Not really a smooth ride
(China Daily)Updated: 2008-11-19 07:46
The obvious design flaw in the Beijing Airport Express system causes great trouble for passengers and someone must be held accountable for the flaw, says an article on the website www.qianlong.com. The following is an excerpt:
How many steps do you have to climb when you transfer from the Dongzhimen station of the Line 2 subway to Beijing Airport Express? The answer is more than 100, equivalent to the steps of a 7-story building.
The opening of the airport express has offered more choices for citizens to get to the airport. But after on-the-spot investigations, it was found that at the transfer station in Dongzhimen, few escalators and no lifts are available for passengers with heavy luggage, causing them to climb up and down the many steps.
The subway company can't dismiss the inconvenience caused to passengers by just admitting there were flaws in the construction.
When quizzed about the design flaws, the subway company said it had not been able to find the flaws earlier because the construction and interior decoration of the Beijing Airport Express was fully done by a Beijing-based construction firm.
It's clear that it wanted to shift the responsibility rather than try to remedy the defect.
As the traffic hub of Beijing, Dongzhimen is the place where subway Line 2, Beijing Airport Express, as well as many bus routes converge.
The subway station of Dongzhimen took on a brand-new look after years of renovation and expansion right before the Beijing Olympics. Also, the airport express was built to be luxurious and posh. However, good looks alone do not bring comfort to passengers.
A huge amount of money must have been invested in these facilities, but it seems that the construction department only emphasized the appearance rather than the functions.
People may have many questions in their minds. Did the initial design ever pass any verification by experts? How could the flawed design get the green light from the regulators? Why did the builders complete the project without questioning the obvious flaws?
Construction of public works is closely related to the interests of every citizen and thus the builders should take a people-oriented attitude instead of simply worrying about appearances. More importantly, someone must be held accountable for the big trouble now caused by an obvious design flaw.
(China Daily 11/19/2008 page8)